Hon. Members, we have a quorum to transact business.

Deputy Leader of the Majority Party. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

Thank you very much, Hon. Speaker. I beg to lay the following Papers on the Table: 1. Reports of the Auditor-General and Financial Statements of the National Government Constituencies Development Fund for the year ended 30th June 2024, and the certificates therein in respect of the following constituencies: (a) Ainabkoi; (v) Konoin; (b) Baringo South; (w) Kuresoi South; (c) Bomet East; (x) Kuria West; (d) Borabu; (y) Lurambi; (e) Bumula; (z) Magarini; (f) Bura; (aa) Matayos; (g) Butula; (bb) Mosop; (h) Chepalungu; (cc) Mwingi West; (i) Garsen; (dd) Nandi Hills; (j) Gilgil; (ee) North Mugirango; (k) Ikolomani; (ff) Rabai; (l) Kabuchai; (gg) Sabatia; (m) Kajiado South; (hh) Sigowet/ Soin; (n) Kanduyi; (ii) Sotik (o) Khwisero; (jj) Suba South; (p) Kibwezi West; (kk) Subukia; (q) Kilifi North; (ll) Turkana East; (r) Kinango; (mm) Ugenya; (s) Kisauni; (nn) Ugunja; (t) Kitui Central; (oo) Vihiga; and, (u) Kitui South; (pp) Webuye East. 2. Reports of the Auditor-General and Financial Statements for the years ended 30th June 2021, 30th June 2022, 30th June 2023, and certificates therein respect of the following: (a) AIC Morop Girls Secondary School, Nakuru; (b) AIC Chebisas Boys High School, Uasin Gishu; (c) Baricho Boys High School; (d) Kikima Secondary School; (e) Koisamo Secondary School; (f) Mama Ngina Kenyatta School; (g) Michinda Secondary School; (h) Milimani High School; (i) Moi Girls Secondary School Marsabit; (j) Moyale Boys High School; (k) Ndura Secondary School; (l) Ngoto Boys High School; (m) Njoro Township Secondary School; (n) St. Angela’s Girls Secondary School, Kitui County; and, (o) St. Matthias Mulumba Matinyani Boys Secondary School. Hon. Speaker, I beg to lay.

Thank you. Next is the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs.

Thank you very much, Hon. Speaker. I beg to lay the following Paper on the Table: The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

Report of the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs on its consideration of the Senate amendments to the Houses of Parliament Bi-cameral Relations Bill (National Assembly Bill No. 44 of 2023).

Next Order.

We start with request for statements. Hon. Mumina Bonaya, the Member for Isiolo County.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. Pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 44(2) (c), I wish to request a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security regarding the operationalisation of the administrative units in Isiolo County. Administrative units are critical in ensuring essential government services are accessible to the citizenry. On 17th March 2022, the then Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration, vide Gazette Notice No. 2969, established several administrative units in Isiolo County to enhance the coordination of national Government functions. The units include Oldonyiro and Sericho sub-counties, Moliti, Jaldesa, Chafes, Checheles, Lafe, Duse and Kiwanjani locations and Moliti, Qarsa, Koone, and Chafes sub- locations. During his visits to Isiolo County in 2022, 2023 and 2024, the former Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration gave an assurance that the administrative units would be operational by the end of 2024. However, this is yet to be done and residents of Isiolo County continue to travel long distances to access Government services. The operationalisation of these units will provide an opportunity for socio-economic development through recruitment opportunities for the youth in institutions such as the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), the National Police Service (NPS), the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and other Government departments. It is against this background that I request a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security on the following: 1. Status update on the operationalisation of newly created administrative units in Isiolo County that were gazetted in March 2022; and 2. Measures the ministry is taking to fast-track the process, including a clear timeline for their operationalisation. Thank you.

Thank you. Yes, Hon. Julius Sunkuli. Is it on the same issue? Go ahead.

Hon. Speaker, I just want to joyride on her request for a Statement. Kindly, when the Chairman stands to address the issue, he should not limit himself to Isiolo. This is a matter that is affecting many parts of Kenya, including my constituency. We would like to have clear timelines. Sometimes, some people read these things in different ways. However, it would be good if the Statement clearly states that the lack of operationalisation is due to some aspects the ministry knows. If it is limited to Isiolo, it may not bring out a clear picture of the whole country.

Yes, Hon. Bowen. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. Allow me to say something about the request for a Statement by Hon. Mumina. There are so many administrative units—some date back almost three years since they were gazetted and have never been operationalised. There is need to have a policy. The Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security and his Committee should know that there is need to have a policy on the creation of administrative units. Many Cabinet Secretaries who take the Ministry of Interior and National Administration office create and gazette many administrative units. They gazette their villages into districts and their locations into divisions. They do that without a budget. We have so many examples of these challenges across the country. It will now require that the current Cabinet Secretary operationalises the administrative units that are gazetted before he gazettes others. There is need to do that. Otherwise, we will have Cabinet Secretaries coming in, doing their own things and then leaving. So, as the Committee responds to this request, there is a need for this House to come up with a regulation policy that will guide the creation of administrative units in the country. I support that request for a Statement.

Hon. Owen.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I would also like to joyride on the same request for a Statement. I will just say one thing. I request the Committee in charge to ensure that there is sufficient budget. We can speak and ask all these questions but we should know that. I have been to the Ministry of Interior and National Administration office several times, and I have always been told that they gazette administrative units but do not have a budget for their operationalisation. So, I would like to request Hon. Tongoyo's Committee to ensure that as we debate this Financial Year's Budget Estimates, it consolidates all the administrative units that have been gazetted and budget for their operationalisation. Today, I have five chiefs and assistant chiefs who were actually installed, but they are not getting their salaries because there is no budget for that. This is something that is all over the country. You know, I received a call from the people of Magarini who said that they have five chiefs and seven assistant chiefs who were appointed but are not getting salaries. This is very dangerous for our country. My friend, Hon. Lentoijoni, is telling me that he has 26 chiefs who have been appointed, and there is no budget for their salaries. This will enable corruption and make these officers not work properly. So, before Hon. Tongoyo’s Committee approves any budget for that ministry or department, it should ensure that money is set aside to pay the chiefs and operationalise the administrative units created and gazetted. I thank you.

Those are enough joyriders. What is it Hon. Nicholas Ng’ikor?

Hon. Speaker, I just want to add my voice on the issue of administrative units. In Turkana East, we are facing the same challenge in administrative units. Suguta Sub-County was created, and it is now operational. However, it is only the Deputy County Commissioner (DDC) who is there. There are no Assistant County Commissioners (ACCs) and chiefs. All these were gazetted together. I do not know how the DDC can work without his assistant chiefs. This House is where we make the budget for all the ministries, including the Ministry of Interior. It is now time that this House stops asking these questions and have a budget in place for these officers down there to assist the public on issues of security. In my constituency, people are facing a lot of insecurity problems because we do not have officers on the ground. Having officers there will minimise insecurity in those areas. This issue should be addressed to help the public by taking services closer to them. Thank you.

Hon. Tongoyo, you can see the number of joyriders, and there are many more. Hon. Johanna, when he finishes, just whisper to him what you want. He is next to you.

The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

Hon. Speaker, as you have rightly put it, the interest is so high. I will give a comprehensive response the first week after the short recess. I want to confirm that I actually discussed with Hon. Bonaya. When we were discussing the Budget Policy Statement (BPS) with the Ministry of Interior and the Cabinet Secretary as a Committee, we interrogated the same. For the record – as we wait for the comprehensive response from the ministry – I confirm to the House that, as it is, the ministry has confirmed that we have 24 sub-counties that are ready for operationalisation. We have about 88 divisions, 318 locations and 674 sub-locations. In these Second Supplementary Estimates, we had a shortage of about Ksh284 million for the same. I am sure if you had given more time to this request for a Statement, we would have got many joy riders. The issue has always been about resources and this House appropriates resources. Yesterday, when we were sitting in the Liaison Committee, I really pleaded with Members to give something like half a billion Kenyan shillings to operationalise the gazetted administration units. At the same time, we put across a very strict recommendation to the Cabinet Secretary to have a very clear policy on the creation of new administration units henceforth. I know that we are still in the process of approving the Second Supplementary Estimates. If this House sees it fit to give the ministry some money, like half a billion Kenyan Shillings plus the Ksh284 million, we can operationalise a majority of the administration units. If this House allocates enough money, we can operationalise as many units as possible. Hon. Speaker, I submit.

Well, you will still have to bring a written response in three weeks. Hon. Members, before I give Hon. Joshua Kandie the opportunity, allow me to acknowledge the following schools seated in the Speaker’s Gallery: 1. Olderkesi Secondary School, Narok West, Narok County. 2. Kianyaga High School, Gichugu, Kirinyaga County. 3. Kibutha Girls High School, Kangema, Murang’a County. 4. AIC Chebisas Girls, Aldai, Nandi County. 5. Iruma Girls High School, Maara, Tharaka Nithi. 6. Young Aspiring Leaders’ Association, Nambale, Busia County. Hon. Members, in the tradition of the House, you should welcome your visitors.

The Member for Aldai has requested that I give her the opportunity to welcome the school from her constituency. On behalf of the House, she will also welcome all the visitors.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I stand to welcome the girls from AIC Chebisas from Aldai Constituency. I also welcome the other students from the other schools. Today, we are seated down here in the red seats, and they are up there watching us. We encourage them to work very hard and smart because tomorrow, any of them could be seated where we are today. Therefore, we encourage them to work hard and smart in school. Welcome to Nairobi City County and the Parliament of Kenya.

Member for Gichugu, Hon. Gichimu.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I join the Member for Aldai in welcoming all the students who have visited Parliament this afternoon, particularly Kianyaga High School, which is within my constituency. This school has been shining for many years, with exemplary performance at the national music festivals. It is one of the schools that has also produced very eminent and prominent leaders in this country, including Hon. GK, an alumnus of the school. Without belabouring the point, I wish to remind the students that The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

education is key. I encourage them to continue doing well, both academically and in co- curricular activities. The future is bright for all of you. Thank you so much, Hon. Speaker.

Hon. Tongoyo.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I also join the rest of my colleagues and yourself in welcoming all the students visiting this august House to follow the proceedings first-hand. In particular, I welcome Olderkesi Secondary School, which is from my constituency. This is a school from the most remote part of Narok County. Last year, they had a mean score of about 8.02, which was the best in the county. This is commendable. Additionally, amongst them are our future leaders. I wish them all the best. Thank you, Hon. Speaker.

Hon. Joshua Kandie, Member for Baringo Central.

Hon. Speaker, pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 44(2)(c), I rise to request a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Education regarding the shortage of teachers in Baringo Central Constituency. A teacher shortfall in a school presents several challenges including increased workload for existing teachers, inconsistent student learning experiences, difficulty meeting diverse student needs, large class sizes, potential for curriculum gaps, reduced quality of instruction and difficulties in maintaining a positive learning environment, all of which can significantly impact student performance and overall school operations. Recent reports indicate a shortfall of teachers across all educational levels in Baringo Central Constituency. Many schools in the constituency remain severely understaffed, affecting the delivery of quality education. It is against this background that I request a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Education on the measures that the Ministry of Education has put in place to ensure schools have adequate teachers to meet the shortfall, especially in Baringo Central. Thank you, Hon. Speaker.

Thank you, Hon. Kandie. Hon. Melly, can you respond in three weeks?

Yes, Hon. Speaker, I will respond in the next three weeks. Thank you.

Hon. Dorice Donya.

Hon. Speaker, pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 44(2)(c), I rise to request a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Agriculture and Livestock regarding the payment of annual bonuses to tea farmers. Tea farming is a major economic activity in Kenya, contributing significantly to the country's export earnings and providing livelihoods for millions of Kenyans. However, there have been growing concerns and complaints from tea farmers regarding the disparity in the payment of bonuses by factories in various regions. Tea farmers in some regions, such as Kisii County, Nyamira County and parts of the Rift Valley, receive significantly lower bonuses compared to their counterparts in other regions despite similar input and production levels. This disparity, which is against the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) dividend payout The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

policy, has caused concerns about fairness, transparency, and equity in the payment system among farmers. It is against this background that I request the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Agriculture and Livestock to apprise the House of the following: 1. The criteria used to determine the rates of annual bonuses paid to tea farmers across the different regions and factories in Kenya. 2. The reasons behind the significant variations in bonus payments to tea farmers in the country. 3. The measures the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, through the relevant agencies such as the Tea Board of Kenya and the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA), is taking to ensure that all tea farmers receive fair, uniform, and transparent bonuses based on their production levels. 4. The timeline within which the ministry will address the disparity to ensure that tea farmers across the country are treated fairly. Thank you, Hon. Speaker.

Thank you, Hon. Donya. Chairperson, Departmental Committee on Agriculture and Livestock. Leader of the Majority Party, inform the Chairman to bring a response in three weeks. Hon. John Kaguchia.

Hon. Speaker, pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 44(2)(c), I rise to request a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Health regarding the acute shortage of blood testing kits in the country. In the recent past, the Kenya National Blood Transfusion Service (KNBTS) has been facing an acute shortage of essential testing kits used for blood donation, including laboratory reagents and blood bag kits for testing and storing donated blood. The lack of essential kits has led to the wastage of donated blood, a very critical resource. The crisis, which has led to a shortage of supply of screened blood in the country, if not resolved, could lead to increased cases of death of patients in need of blood transfusions. I dare say the issue of blood bank depletion is a national security concern. It is against this background that I request a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Health on the following: 1. Report on the measures that the Government has put in place to avert a crisis and ensure there are adequate essential testing kits to enable screening of blood donated across the country. 2. What immediate measures the Government is taking to ensure uninterrupted provision of screened blood for transfusion to patients, especially those in current need. 3. The long-term measures being put in place to mitigate the risk and ensure constant supply of essential medical testing kits. 4. Measures to adequately facilitate the Kenya National Blood Transfusion Service to carry out its mandate uninterrupted. I thank you, Hon. Speaker.

Thank you, Hon. Kaguchia. Chairman, Departmental Committee on Health. Leader of the Majority Party. Yes, Hon. Pukose. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

I am still the Chairman until tomorrow. I will still be a ranking Member of the Committee. We can give a response in three weeks when the National Assembly resumes from recess.

Thank you, Hon. Pukose. Next Order. The Deputy Speaker. Hold on, Hon. Deputy Speaker.

Hon. Speaker, I disagree a little with the Hon. Chairman on the number of weeks he has given. Since this is a very sensitive health issue, by the time we are done with the three weeks of recess, we will have lost many patients in the country. Hon. Speaker, I propose that he give a response as early as this Friday if you allow.

Hon. Kaguchia, Hon. Pukose has said that he ceases being the Chairman of that Committee tomorrow. The Committee has to elect a Chairperson. We are also going on recess on Friday, 14th March 2025, after the Morning Sitting. So, you will just have to bear with us. I direct that a response be brought on day one after recess. The recess is only two weeks. We can bear with that. Are you okay with that?

Hon. Speaker, because the Committee is a growing concern, the incoming Chairperson can take up the matter immediately after he is elected tomorrow. This will ensure that we put a bit of pressure as Parliament on the Executive to ensure that members of this nation access blood transfusion services because of the sensitivity of the issue.

Hon. Pukose, whomever you elect as the Chairperson, ask… Yes, Hon. Pukose?

Hon. Speaker, I know the issue that Hon. Kaguchia has raised is critical, but I indulge him to allow a smooth transition so that we can give him a satisfactory answer. If we were to give him an answer by Friday, he would still complain that it is not satisfactory. I ask the Member to be patient, and we will give him a satisfactory answer in three weeks.

Thank you. Three weeks. Deputy Speaker.

Hon. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 259D, I wish to make a Statement on the remarkable achievements of Kenya's National Women's Sevens rugby team, popularly known as the Lionesses’ in the recently concluded first and second round of the World Sevens Rugby Challenge (HSBC) Series, which were held in Cape Town in the Republic of South Africa on the 1st and 2nd of March 2025. Hon. Speaker, for many years, lovers of rugby have known the men's rugby team as one that has brought honour and glory to the country in rugby. It is, therefore, impressive that the Kenya women's rugby team has been steadily rising to stardom and bringing sporting glory to the country, as demonstrated in Cape Town during the just-concluded World Sevens Rugby HSBC Series. In the first-round final, Kenya triumphed over Argentina with a hard-fought 17- 12 victory. Further, in the second-round final, Kenya delivered a dominant performance, overwhelming the hosts South Africa with a convincing 17-0 win. Notably, this heroic performance marks the first time in history that our Lionesses have claimed victory in a rugby challenge series and won two consecutive tournaments. This is truly an exceptional performance by our women's rugby team, resulting from hard work, incredible resilience, determination and skill. Their achievements are even more commendable considering the numerous challenges that our women's rugby team continues to face, including financial constraints, resource limitations and limited visibility. As we know, Hon. Speaker, The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

they visited Bunge, and we were able to provide them with food for one year. Those are some of the obstacles that could potentially hinder the sport's growth and advancement. The Lionesses have shown unwavering dedication by overcoming these to excel on a global stage. As we commend our women's rugby team for its spectacular performance, it is important to note that in the world of sports, women often face unique challenges and barriers, including unequal opportunities, gender-based discrimination and inadequate access to health care services. Therefore, as parliamentarians, we have a constitutional duty and a responsibility to address these issues head-on and ensure that our girls are empowered to thrive in their chosen sports disciplines without fear of discrimination or prejudice. In this regard, I wish to thank the stakeholders, such as Safaricom PLC, who have already come out strongly to support our Lionesses in overcoming some of these hindrances. I urge more organisations to consider supporting our women's rugby team and other disciplines featuring female sportspersons. Hon. Speaker, to our Lionesses, I say this: Continue to shine brightly on the rugby field, inspire the next generation of sportswomen, and never forget your worth and value as women. You are a role model and champion of change, and your contributions to our national pride are truly invaluable. Once again, I say, hongera kwenu na endeleeni kukaza mshipi. Asante Lionesses. Thank you, Hon. Speaker.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. We join you in congratulating them as well.

On a point of order, Hon. Speaker. Hon. Donya, what is out of order?

Hon. Speaker, I rise on Standing Order 173. There is a horrible accident which has happened to women in Kenya.

An accident?

Yes, a serious one.

Where?

In the Departmental Committee on Transport and Infrastructure. We have 15 Members and there is only one lady. That is an accident and a big one, according to Standing Order 173. You can imagine, Hon. Speaker, 14 men seated with one woman. They will not deliberate. We applied for these positions. This is telling us that women Members cannot manage transport committees yet we are the ones who walk miles to the markets and rivers. What are they telling us? Women have been placed in the Departmental Committee on Social Protection, and you want us to approve the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) Report. To the men in this House, we need justice. This Committee needs to be disbanded, Hon. Speaker. Women voices should be respected. For the same reason, they allocate women representatives who serve four to ten constituencies the same allocation for operations as a single constituency Member of Parliament. This should stop and women must be respected. We are the ones who breastfeed and bring life to this world. Hon. Speaker, it is very wrong and we protest. We do not like it; we want balance and equity. Equity, equity! Thank you, Hon. Speaker.

I hear you, Hon. Donya. Next. Hold on, Clerk-at-the-Table. Yes, Leader of the Minority Party.

Hon. Speaker, with your indulgence, we need to take note of the issue raised by Hon. Dorice. In the reorganisation of committees, together with the Leader of the Majority Party, we must ensure that more women serve in the Departmental Committee on Transport and Infrastructure. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

Having said that, an international event for women is happening in New York this week. While men issues are being discussed, women are also present. However, the delegation sent by Parliament to New York consists only of women. Why did we not have male Members to go and discuss women's issues? There is also an anomaly in that issue. There is a serious accident taking place in New York, where only our female colleagues are meeting without a single male Member. This needs to be addressed. Thank you.

What is good for the goose is good for the gander. Clerk-at-the-Table, before you call the next Order, allow me to… Hon. Donya, the reconstitution of committees is done by your leaders. One is sitting in front of you, the one preaching about the accident. The other one is across the Floor. Take your complaints and address the matter with them.

Uasin Gishu County, UDA): On a point of order, Hon. Speaker.

Yes, Deputy Speaker.

Uasin Gishu County, UDA): Hon. Speaker, I am just giving a point of information to Hon. Junet to let him know that what is happening in New York is called positive discrimination.

On a point of order, Hon. Speaker.

Yes, Hon. Jematiah.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. Still on Standing Order 173, what Hon. Donya mentioned is also a replica in the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning. When you talk about the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), it is a meeting for women’s agendas and affairs. But in this case, we are talking about a committee that deals with resources and policy issues, and it does not mean that women should be isolated because of gender.

Yes, Hon. Junet.

Order! Take your seat, Hon. Jematiah. Address the Speaker.

Hon. Speaker, the Leader of the Majority Party and I have acknowledged the anomalies in the committees and we will address them. The committees must have gender parity. Regarding what is happening in New York, men are also stakeholders. What women are discussing there also affects us. We must be present in New York because we are stakeholders in women's issues as they affect us. What you will discuss there must be implemented when we are present here. We are stakeholders, and you must engage us, especially fathers of girls like me. I must know the agenda of women in New York.

Order! No more gender passions on the Floor. I want to acknowledge the presence of Kirirwa Junior School from Imenti Central Constituency, Meru County, in the Public Gallery, and Koelel Forces Academy from Gilgil Constituency, Nakuru County, in the Speaker's Gallery. On my behalf and that of the House, we welcome the students and their teachers to the House of Parliament. Next Order. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

, further to the resolution of the House during the approval of FY 2024/25 Estimates, on reengineering the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS), the National Treasury submits geographical information of development projects per county and constituency by 30th April 2025.

by 30th June 2025, the National Treasury submits a comprehensive report detailing the implementation status of the new digitised pension system. Additionally, the report should include an action plan to clear pension arrears, ensure timely contributions, and enhance administrative efficiency.

by 31st December 2025, the Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock, develops and submits to the National Assembly regulations for the Hides, Skins, and Leather Fund to support its implementation and stabilize market prices. Additionally, the Ministry should review the Hides, Skins, and Leather Trade Act, finalize the Kenya Leather Value Chain Development Policy, and submit the Leather Development Authority Bill to strengthen the legal and policy framework for the leather industry.

within 12 months of the approval of the 2025 BPS, the State Department for Diaspora Affairs and the State Department for Foreign Affairs submit to the National Assembly an agreed framework of collaboration to assign existing mission staff, such as Migration Attachés, additional diaspora affairs duties to optimize resources and avoid extra deployment costs.

the State Departments for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and Industry develop and submit to the National Assembly, a structured collaboration framework between Constituency Industrial Development Centers and County Aggregation and Industrial Parks by 31st December 2025.

before the submission of the FY 2025/26 budget estimates, the National Treasury prioritizes increasing budgetary allocations for Universal Health Care (UHC) programs, especially the critical healthcare programs considering the possibility of reduction in donor funding, and to realize the health sector goals under Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) plan.

during the formulation of annual Estimates for the Financial Year 2025/26, the National Treasury retains an independent budget line for Lamu Port-Southern Sudan- Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor Development Authority under the State The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

Department for Transport. This is to safeguard a structure that ensures the realization of the original goal of the LAPSSET integrated economic multi-modal transport corridor and smoothly executes its critical role of coordination, planning, development and management of the Corridor.

by 31st December 2025, the State Department for Housing and Urban Development puts tangible measures for ensuring that all ongoing projects initiated before the enactment of the Affordable Housing Act and which meet the eligibility criteria under section 11 of the Affordable Housing Act, are prioritized for funding through the Affordable Housing Fund.

by 30th June 2025, the Public Service Commission in collaboration with the MDAs in the sub-sector of Communication, Information and Technology undertakes workforce evaluation with a view of establishing optimum levels of personnel and the best and cost-effective ways of addressing the problems of bloated workforce within the sector. Consequently, a report on the same to be submitted to the relevant Committee of the National Assembly.

before submission of estimates for FY 2025/26, the Cabinet Secretary responsible for Energy and Petroleum ensures that Kenya Power and Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC) establish a framework to decentralize procurement of materials through trusted third parties by authorizing qualified distributors and suppliers to procure and supply materials that adhere to stringent quality and standard tests.

to align the National Land Policy with the Constitution; and cater to emerging issues in the Land sector, the State Department for Lands and Physical Planning fast The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

tracks the review of Sessional Paper No.3 of 2009 on the National Land Policy and presents a report to National Assembly by 31st December 2025.

by 30th July 2025, the State Department for Environment and Climate Change presents a comprehensive framework to the National Assembly on carbon credit resource mobilization. This framework should outline strategies for generating and trading carbon credits, regulatory guidelines, and mechanisms for stakeholder engagement.

before the submission of the FY 2025/26 budget estimates, the Appropriations- in-Aid projections for the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) be reviewed upwards from Ksh2.680.1 billion to Ksh3.097.1 billion as indicated by the Authority. This adjustment is necessary to enhance NITA's capacity to provide quality industrial training, expand skills development programs, and support workforce preparedness in line with evolving industry demands.

by 30th April 2025, the Cabinet Secretaries for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports and Defense submit a report to the National Assembly detailing projected costs, completion timelines and amounts spent and indicating the working modalities between the two Ministries in respect of the construction of African Nations Championship (CHAN) and Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) stadia and training grounds.

by 31st December 2025, the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration develops and submits to the National Assembly the policy guidelines on how the citizens will access government services during the expiry of the third generation Identity Card after 10 years to deal with the anticipated disruption of services.

the State Department for Wildlife creates a budget line during the processing of the 2025/26 budget estimates to allocate adequate funding to the Human-Wildlife Conflict Compensation Committee to expedite the processing of compensation claims and provide timely relief to victims of human-wildlife conflict.

the Intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee (IGRTC) provides the National Assembly with a detailed roadmap and timelines on the proposed dissolution of the six (6) regional development authorities and the eventual transfer of assets, liabilities and personnel to the two levels of government by 30th June 2025.

the State Department for Water and Sanitation submits a detailed portfolio of donor-funded projects in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) counties by 30th April 2025, The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

for review. This will ensure equitable resource distribution, guide budget planning for FY 2025/26, and help address funding disparities in water-scarce areas.

the Cabinet Secretary for Labour and Social Protection submits the Social Protection Bill to the National Assembly by 30th June 2025. The bill should establish a comprehensive policy framework to enhance the coordination of social protection programs across the country and outline clear funding mechanisms, programme integration strategies, efficient implementation of Social Safety Net Programs, and strengthen support for vulnerable populations.

the State Department for Higher Education and Research finalizes the revision of the new funding model to address the challenges the model is facing to ensure it responds to the concerns and needs of the students as well as institutions and report to the National Assembly by 30th June 2025.

Leader of the Majority Party, you are replying to the debate on this Bill.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker, for allowing me to reply to the County Governments Additional Allocations Bill (National Assembly Bill No. 2 of 2025). First, I thank all the Members who contributed to the debate on this Bill. As I said while moving the debate, and as many Members observed during the debate, this is the second attempt by this House to enact this Bill. Our first attempt during the last Session failed. As many Members alluded to, the Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF), which was previously in the Bill, is not in the current Bill as published. We were pleading with the Senate and the Council of Governors to see the logic of allowing the enactment process of this Bill to progress to its logical conclusion as it is so that the county governments can access billions of shillings in additional funding to enable them to provide services, especially in critical areas like water and sanitation, healthcare and urban development, particularly in sewerage and road The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

infrastructure. Therefore, I implore them to give this process a chance. I have seen attempts to water down this Bill by publishing a similar Bill in the Senate. I urge the Senate to give this process a chance since this is a money Bill. I urge them to allow it to progress through the Senate to enable the county governors to access funds that will help our constituents and ward representatives. The other day, I watched a video clip on social media in which an MCA from Hon. Mburu Kahangara's Constituency in Lari was shedding tears in front of the governor, pleading for resources to be allocated to her ward to maintain impassable roads. She was pleading with the governor because they could not even transport bodies for funerals due to the bad state of the roads in that area. The situation is dire not only in Kiambu County but across the country. Some governors may want the world to believe otherwise. In fact, I was told that the Governor of Kiambu had alleged that the National Assembly was holding Ksh10 billion for road maintenance, which is very far from the truth. It is the Council of Governors, through the case that is bound to be determined tomorrow, 12th March, that has held onto the Ksh10 billion that should be helping the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KERRA) to rehabilitate roads. The KERRA also assists governors in maintaining some of the rural roads, which may be their responsibility. The other notion they have attempted to drive is that these funds are going to Members of Parliament. Again, this is far from the truth. Members of Parliament do not manage any of these funds. These resources are managed by the Regional offices of KERRA and the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA). That is where procurement is done. KERRA and KURA engineers oversee the construction and maintenance of roads in our constituencies, wards, and counties. Therefore, even as we sympathise with those Members of the County Assemblies who have shed tears on behalf of the people they represent, we must plead with the Council of Governors to allow the nation to move forward on the matter of additional county governments allocations. I have seen a number of adverts by KURA for road maintenance in Nairobi, even though many urban areas have benefited immensely from the Kenya Urban Support Programme (KUSP) and the Kenya Informal Settlements Improvement Programme (KISIP) funds. All these funds are in this Bill. Many counties benefit from healthcare funds despite the loss of global funds from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and other donors. Additional grant money from other donors, not loans, is also available. However, the county governments cannot access the money because this Bill has not become an Act of Parliament. Therefore, I plead with our colleagues in the Senate to hasten the processing of this Bill when it is transmitted to them to enable the governors to access these funds to help our constituents. I beg to reply.

Take your seat, Hon. Member.

Hon. Members, the Member for Nambale has requested that I acknowledge a group seated in the Public Gallery from his constituency. They are members of the Young Aspiring Leaders Association from Nambale Constituency, Busia County. I will now give you one minute to acknowledge their presence.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker, for allowing me to welcome the young aspiring leaders from Nambale Constituency to this august House. This group of young people has come together with the common goal of learning how to offer leadership in the future. As they say, youth are the future leaders and drivers of innovation, and they are expected to drive the economic growth of a nation. If they do not move closer to other leaders to learn how leadership is carried out, they may not understand the challenges and duties that come with leadership. I wish to commend this group for their effort because last December, they participated in organising sports activities within Nambale Constituency. They encouraged the youths to avoid drug use and engage in community work instead. Hon. Speaker and Hon. Members, allow me to welcome them to Parliament and encourage them to think creatively and develop solutions that can drive progress in various fields.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker.

Hon. Members, I am advised that the Schedule to Order No.11 is very long and is still being prepared. On that score, if it is agreeable with you, we can go to Order No.12. We can go back to Order No.11 when the Schedule is ready. Does that sit well with you, Leader of the Majority Party?

Yes, Hon. Speaker. As soon as the Clerks- at-the-Table share the Schedule, we can go back to Order No.11. However, I think they should have published them on the gadgets in the House so we can access them from there.

Can you post them on the gadgets?

Just post them on the gadgets.

These are time-bound legislations.

Yes.

Leading Clerk-at-the-Table, call out Order No.11.

Hon. Speaker, I beg to move the following Motion: THAT, this House adopts the Report of the Liaison Committee on its consideration of the Second Supplementary Estimates for the Financial Year 2024/2025, laid on the Table of the House on Wednesday, 12thMarch 2025, and pursuant to the provisions of Article 223 of the Constitution, section 39 of the Public Finance Management Act, 2012 and Standing Order 239 – (i) approves the Supplementary Estimates II for FY 2024/2025 as indicated in the schedules to the Report; (ii) resolves that the Schedules form the basis for the introduction of the Supplementary Appropriation Bill, 2025; and (iii) orders that “The Speaker do now leave the Chair” to facilitate the consideration of the said Budget Estimates with respect to each Vote and Programme in the Committee of Supply as contemplated under The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

Standing Order 240 which is Consideration of Supplementary Estimates in the Committee of Supply. Thank you.

or Administration Multi-Agency Strategic Planning and Interventions to enhance Support operations. Services

for multi ahency strateguc interventions

for commisiions and tribunals

for Coordination of National Lotery Fund. Government

for Kenya International Bounderies Office.

or Coordination O&M and Supervision The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

owards security operations-HQ item 2211312.

for DCI HQ item 2211312 - security operations.

for HQ Office of the DIG AP for food rations and other O&M.

drainage system at service central stores.

from HQ Medical Insurance.

om construction of Police Camp in Obunga.

rom construction of Police Station Office at Kikambuni.

r ODPP

for DCI security.

for Administration Private Security and Support Regulatory Authority. Services

) for taskforce on campaighn against GBV and femicide.

for legal claims. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

or Services PBO Authority.

for public benefit organization regulatory authority.

or Construction of sub- Field county Police HQs Administration Central Ward Services

or Oversight induction of new board Services members.

for Livestock Production Services for items including animal feed rations, fuel and specialized supplies to 16 livestock breeding farms.

to cater for pending bills and to complete solarization.

for establishment of feedlots, fodder and pasture.

for Sustainable Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis free areas in Kenya (KENTTEC).

for Livestock Training Institute-Kitui.

for food rations and pending bills at AHITI Kabete (A in A funded).

for payment of gratuity for officers whose contracts have ended (A in A funded).

to operationalize National Livestock and promotion marketing board.

or feedlots, fodder, pasture and water development.

or Pyrethrum Processing Company of Kenya for employee compensation and O$M.

for Pesticide Control Produce Board towards surveillance against entrance of unauthorised pesticide

for Agriculture Technology Innovation Canters for adoption of technology, innovation, management and practices.

for National Value Chain Support project to cater for pending bill relating to e-voucher services.

for construction of HQ and Satellite campuses for KSA.

for food security and crop diversification to support provision of seeds and seedlings

for Ketut-Mokoro Irrigation Scheme -NIA as seed capital to start the project.

for National Expanded Irrigation Programme to cater for pending bills.

for Adich Gorge Dam- NIA as seed capital to start the project.

for National Water Harvesting and ground water exploitation NWSHA for payment of pending bills.

for Infrastructure 000) 00 LVNWWDA for Development installation ERP system.

for TANATHI WWDA for P.E.

for Tana WWDA for ERP.

Kegonga Cluster Water Supply -LVSWWDA.

for National Water Harvesting and ground water Exploitation.

for water harvesting projects CWWDA to pay pending bills.

Aguthi Water Project TWWDA to pay pending bills.

for Karuiru water project TWWDA to pay pending bills.

for Kwa Mutonga Earth Dam -TANATHI to pay pending bills.

or Mutyambua Earth Dam -TANATHI to pay pending bills.

for Mekilingi Earth Dam -TANATHI to pay pending bills.

for Sere Earth Dam - TANATHI to pay pending bills.

or GK Memorial School Borehole NWWDA.

for Senetwa-Kamelilo Water Project LVNWWDA. to pay pending bills

for Kipkoil-Kimatkei water project- LVNWWDA to pay pending bills.

for Turbi Borehole NWWDA for drilling, solarization and desalination.

for Hawashow Water Project -NWWDA to pay pending bills.

from Restoration and conservation of water catchment areas.

for Sidokho Dam LVNWWDA.

for Lumiko Dam LVNWWDA.

or Asega Dam LVNWWDA.

for Kapsiro water supply LVNWWDA.

rom Kamoi-Kapterit- Surwerwa Water Supply project.

for critical

or LVNWWDA

for Kenya Fishing Industries Corporation for the Jetty and Uvuvi Fishing Boat pending bill.

for Kenya Fish Marketing Authority for pending bills for fish post harvest losses management.

for Kenya Fisheries Service to fund operations at the 3 laboratories

for Administration, HQ Administrative Planning and Services to cater for Support pending bills. Services

for supervision of streetscape &Wastewater reclamation facilities.

for Office of the Data Protection Commissioner for capacity building and sensitization.

or Directorate of information HQ for equipping and capacity building of field officer..

for Media Council of Kenya .

for KNQA to put in place a system that captures all learners.

or Administration, completion of MIS Planning and System. Support Services

or Multimedia University to support ICT modernization.

or Jaramogi Odingalibrary complex.

for Administration, M&E. Planning and

or Services MIS System

from 1066104918 Construction of Classroom, laboratory, admin block at DEB Primary s. (public participation project.

for 1066104918 Construction of Classroom, laboratory, admin block at Nyamira DEB Primary School. (public participation project.

for Assembly of Assistive Devices Project for SNE Learners -KISE.

for NACONEC.

for Capacity building of school managers at KEMI.

to Standards KICD for capacity building on CBC.

or Administration, upgrading NIMES. Planning and Support Services The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

for Resource Development for Nuclear Programme

Publicity and Advocacy

from Critical Rural Access Last Mile Connectivity.

for Sondu Homabay Ndhiwa Awendo Electrification Project

Substation

) from Hydro dams Water catchment re- afforestation

or Administration 0) 0) pending bills Naivasha Planning and Data Center-Misrot Support Limited Company. Services

for KRA.

for Horn of Africa Initiative Secretariat.

rom, Budget reserves, leasing of vehicles, ESP and Administrative serrvices.

for multi agency.

rom the programme.

r capacity developmen on procurement

for Financial Policy finincial reporting Formulation and center. Management

or Policy and capacity building of county planning officers The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

from construction and equipping of health centers.

from construction and equipping of level 4 hospitals.

for construction and equipping of Mt. Elgon hospital.

or construction and equipping of Mogotio Health Center.

for construction and equipping of Iftin level IV

for construction and equipping of Kegonga level IV hospital

for construction and equipping of Wamba Health Center. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

for construction and equipping of Kanyarkwat Health Center.

or construction and equipping of Sankuri Health Center.

for construction and equipping of Mur Malanga Level 3 Hospital. .

for construction and equipping of Khwisero Level IV hospital.

for upgrading of children's ward Kibunga Level 3 Hospital.

for construction of Ugenya Hospital.

or supply of medical supplies and commodities-vulcan.

for Supply of CD4 Counter instruments. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

or KNH for specialized medical equipment.

) from refubishment of equipment at KNH.

or cyflo CD4 counter instruments.

for Reproductive 0) 00 National Syndemic Maternal New Diseases Control Born Child Council for pending Adolescent bills.

rom special global HIV grant

or procurement of equipment for blodd transfusion. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

or construction of KEMRI laboratories.

rom construction and upgrading of KEMRI Laboratories.

rom digital health platform.

for training of health care workers under the state department for medical services.

for HQ professional service.

or universal health covergae.

or procurement of Anti Health Services TB Drugs.

or outbreak of KALA AZAR.

rom Port Health Control.

for Kenya Institute of Primate Research to manufacture snake anti- venom.

for Kenya Institute of Primate Research for P.E. Shortfall.

rom training for human resource for health

for Kenya Heath Professions Oversight Authority.

for Physiotherapist's Council of Kenya.

for Pharmacy and Poisons Board.

for clinical officers council.

for Administration HQ admin services.

) from Social and physical Infrastructure.

for Administration O&M cost for Planning and supervision of ongoing Support Projects. Services The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

for Development of National Construction the Construction Authority towards Industry sensitization, technical training and enforcement of building codes across the 47 counties.

for FY 2023/24 carryovers for damaged infrastructure and civil works in penal institutions.

from the budget of Asset Recovery Agency. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

for Legal Training Kenya School of Law as and exchequer support. Constitutional

for the Council of Legal Education to enable them execute their mandate.

for maintenance of the Kenya Legislation and Case Law database.

to settle rent arrears and service charge for NCLR Office and warehouse.

for legal information and printing of Kenya Law Reports.

to Protection enhance O&M.

o Promotion of support the Human Rights Commission's core mandate of resolving human rights complaints, enhancing public awareness and understanding human rights.

or Administrative O&M. Justice

for recruitment of 110 interns.

for P.E. deficit.

for P.E.

or Judiciary Training Institute.

to facilitate settlement of pending bills certificates for construction of occupational safety health institute.

for National Employment Authority (NEA) for hosting internet connectivity system in Konza and ICTA and facilitate job fairs for overseas recruitment in counties. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

o cater and facilitate posting of labour Attaché in Berlin Germany.

for finalization of critical labour mobility bilateral agreements.

for settling of pending bills to suppliers of goods and services.

o Transformation 00) 0 cover salary shortfalls for the Human Resources Management Professional Examination Board.

om construction and civil works.

for operationalization of huduma centers (Kibunja-10 million and Kitui-20 million).

or KSG hostel rehabilitation.

from operationalization of Huduma Canters.

rom Administration Printing, Advertising Planning and and Information Support Supplies and services. Services

from other operating expenses- 22113000.

(Recurrent) Remuneration Management

or Services Nairobi Rivers Commission.

for World Scout Parliamentary Union Secretariat.

for IGTRC

for Financial Management Services. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

or Ewaso Ngiro North Cathcment Riparian Conservation project ENNDA.

for Rongo Bee Keeping Project.

for construction of dykes in Nyando and Muhoroni-LBDA.

) from KVDA-Etio Phase II water distribution

for construction of The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

NTIIL borehole -KVDA

for-Lalwasokoria water pan.

for yokot phase II water supply.

for Child Welfare Society for Kenya emergency food support.

rom Development 0) NGAAF.

for Administration, policy matters Planning and Support Services

or Services Kenya National Innovation Agency (KENIA).

for Kenya Academy of Sports for P.E., contracted services and gratuity.

from Anti- Doping Agency of Kenya.

from HQ administration Services. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

for Heritage National Heroes Council.

for Permanent Presidential Music Commission.

for Kenya National Library Services to pay outstanding rent owed to the State Department for Sport.

for Services Kenya Film Classification Board for P.E, contracted services, staff medical insurance, gratuity and rent.

or Kenya Film Commission for P.E, contracted services, staff medical insurance, gratuity and rent.

for Kenya Film School to purchase equipment and customize learning spaces. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

for protection and development of Mawe Tatu Heritage site in Kakamega (A In A).

for Mumonyonzo Dam ecotourism project phase two in Kakamega (A in A).

or Installation of solar power back up CCTV camera for e-citizen revenue gates KWS-(A in A).

for Jomo Kenyatta Beach Rejuvenation in Mombasa County - KWS-(A in A).

from debt waiver.

for CS operations.

to settle pending bills.

or PAVI Ginnery pending Bills.

or Luanda Ginnery completion.

to and Enterprise 0 KNTC for financial Development obligation from edible oil and rice importation.

for Trade Japan Expo 2025. Development

or KEPROBA P.E

) for COMESA summit.

for Administration, O&M. Planning and Support Services

for Administration O&M. Planning and

for Services rent.

for Industrial Audit Committee.

for CAIPS M&E.

rom Purchase of Elgeyo Marakwet land.

or KITI.

for KIRDI O&M.

for Quality KENAS. Infrastructure &

or KIEP.

for Center of Excellence.

for cold storage facilities.

for Development SEZA (23 million non- and Promotion discretionary expense, 40 million for recruitment of staff 20 million for purchase of Vehicles.

for Ken Invest( 9 million non- discretionary expense, 21 million core mandate, 30 million National Investment council, 20 million investment conference).

for repairs of Athi River Textile hub (EPZA)

for the construction of critical roads and payment of pending bills.

or the construction of critical roads and payment of pending bills.

for KURA critical roads.

or critical raods

for Administration, the State Department of Planning and Transport HQ for ICT Support upgrade and associated Services infrastructure.

for Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (NAMATA) for salaries of newly recruited officers, purchase of furniture and equipment. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

for Lapsset Corridor Development Authority (LCDA).

for 1093100301: Kenya Lake Victoria Maritime Communication and Transport Project.

for Bandari Maritime Academy (BMA) for payment of pending certificates for the Survival Training and Certification. I

for Administration unfunded priorities. Planning and Support Services

Head 0002 item representation 2110314. and oversight

for Head 0001 item 2210400

Head 0001 item 2210700

for Head 0002 item 2210400

or unfunded priorities.

for O&M

for Administration, 0 unfunded priorities. planning and

for Bunge Towerr and ISMS

for Oversight unfunded priorities.

for Liaison & unfunded priorities. Intergovernment al Relations

for Administration unfunded priorities. Planning and Support Services

Who is seconding?

Go on record. Give her the microphone. Hold on, Hon. Pukose.

Hon. Speaker, I call upon Hon. Pukose, a Member of the Committee, to second.

Hon. Speaker, I second.

Hon. Ruku, take your seat. Hon. Donya, do not get an accident. Take your seat.

Before I allow the Leader of the Majority Party to proceed with the Motion, I want to believe that the Members whose names appear on my screen are queuing for this debate. If you are not, log out so that we follow the list on the screen.

On a point of order, Hon. Speaker.

Yes, Hon. Makali Mulu. What is your point of order? The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

Thank you very much, Hon. Speaker. I do not know if I am right, but has debate on this Motion even been moved and seconded before we debate it? I thought the Committee Chair should have moved the Motion…

Debate on the Motion was moved by the Hon. Deputy Speaker, who is the Chairlady of the Liaison Committee, and seconded by the distinguished Hon. Member for Endebess.

This afternoon?

Yes, a few minutes ago.

It is okay, Hon. Speaker.

I noticed you were busy reading something.

No, let me not question the moving and seconding aspects of the Motion. Let us just continue.

What is the problem?

Hon. Speaker, I thought with such an important Report, we should have the highlights. You indicated to us earlier that the Schedule was not here. I thought the Mover should have taken some time to educate the House on the highlights of this Supplementary Budget and the recommendations of the Liaison Committee, just as we did with the Motion on the Budget Policy Statement (BPS). After the Motion was moved and seconded very well in the morning, we debated the BPS. The issues contained in the Report were highlighted and seconded. That is why I do not want to question the moving and seconding aspects of this Motion, even though it would be important for us to have the highlights of what is changing in the current Budget Estimates. If we know the total figures involved, we can debate from a point of information.

Hon. Makali Mulu, as far as the Speaker is concerned, the Motion has been moved and seconded. Get ready to debate it. Leader of the Majority Party, go ahead.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I rise to support the Motion for consideration of the Second Supplementary Estimates for the current financial year as ably moved by the Hon. Deputy Speaker and seconded by Hon. Pukose. Being an economist, Hon. Makali Mulu would have wanted more details, but I believe he was also very busy reading the same Report. That is why he did not hear the Hon. Deputy Speaker and Hon. Pukose move and second. The Second Supplementary Estimates come in the backdrop of a period in which our economy is stabilising and increasingly becoming better than it was, as I stated earlier while debating the BPS. The Supplementary Estimates also come in the backdrop of a situation where we found ourselves without a Finance Bill for six months, following the events of June last year, when the Finance Bill was eventually rejected. Many people may have taken it for granted and thought that those events did not have an impact on our budget process. However, Kenyans across the country can bear witness to the disruptions that led to the rejection of the Finance Bill in 2024, which greatly impacted our development programs. Kenyans across the country have been agitating for the rehabilitation of roads for which there have been no budgetary allocations. We have seen many industrial actions by the labour movements – the unions of doctors, teachers and members of the teaching fraternity in public universities – agitating for the implementation of Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs), which were supposed to be funded from revenues that were to be raised through the Finance Bill of 2024. Hon. Speaker, allow me to take this opportunity to thank the House and the many Kenyans who joined the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning during The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

public participation in October last year to reconsider many of the proposals contained in the Finance Bill. We need to understand that Supplementary Estimates II come against the backdrop of reduced revenues due to the events of June 2024. The belated mobilisation of revenues occurred because we did not have a Finance Bill to mobilise resources as expected by 1st July 2024. It was not until the end of December that the Bills we passed on 4th December commenced mobilising revenues from 27th December. We have only mobilised resources for about two months—the whole of January and February. It has now been only two and a half months since we started implementing the tax measures we had put in place to mobilise resources.

Hon. Speaker, it is against this backdrop that the National Treasury has had to review the Budget for the 2024/2025 Financial Year to be in tandem with the actual revenues and realities of the time. The revenues projected when we were preparing last year's Budget were based on the assumption that a Finance Bill would be in place to collect revenues from 1st July to 30th June this year. As I have stated, we have only been able to collect revenues from January to date. We now have to review the revenue projections. We also have to review expenditure projections with the revision of revenue projections. I am glad that the National Treasury has factored all this into its revision of expenditure projections. The National Treasury has made an effort to continue with the fiscal consolidation I spoke about earlier this morning. This is to ensure that we close this financial year with a Supplementary Budget as close to reality as possible.

I urge Members to look at the proposed reallocations and additional allocations contained in the Schedules being printed. Members will be able to access them on their tablets shortly. Members will see that the security sector is part of the gainers. Again, it is worth noting that the National Police Service (NPS) has been allocated an additional Ksh7.5 billion, of which a sum of Ksh5 billion is for shortfalls in insurance costs. A sum of Ksh2.5 billion is to support the Haiti Peacekeeping Mission. Additionally, other resources have been allocated to ensure we continue securing our country.

I heard many people recently fault the policy proposal to allow Kenyans from all corners of the country to access national Identification Cards (IDs) fairly and equitably without discrimination. Some resources have been allocated to the National Intelligence Service (NIS) to enhance the security measures in place so that only Kenyans can access national IDs.

Hon. Speaker, there has also been a problem of pending bills. Our economy has slowed down largely because many business people across the country have bills arising from delivering goods and services to the national and county governments. They have not been paid. One of the culprits is the Ministry of Defence. I can see in this Supplementary Budget that the Ministry of Defence has been allocated an additional Ksh6 billion to settle pending bills. I hope the Principal Secretary and accounting officers in the Ministry of Defence will settle those pending bills, especially bills relating to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Many SMEs are suffering for lack of capital. Some have even closed down due to non-payment of pending bills. I plead with the Ministry of Defence to prioritise payments to SMEs before they go to the big suppliers who may have a little more muscle with the banks.

As I said, we have had issues with CBAs between the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and teachers' unions. We have heard teachers complain about the kind of health services they receive through their medical scheme. An additional Ksh18 billion has been allocated to the TSC in this Supplementary Budget to cater for insurance shortfalls, teacher promotions and personnel emolument shortfalls. Therefore, teachers who are due for promotion but have not been promoted because of budget constraints can now smile all the way to the TSC as they seek their promotions.

Hon. Speaker, the State Department for University Education is also a major beneficiary of these Supplementary Estimates. Members can see that a sum of Ksh16 billion The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

has been allocated to university education, including Ksh4.2 billion for the implementation of CBAs entered into between public universities and the university teaching staff unions. As I said, the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and other university don unions have been petitioning Parliament at the gates and demonstrating in town. They are agitating for the implementation of their CBAs with the Government. There is an allocation of Ksh4.2 billion to the State Department for University Education to honour the CBAs they have entered into with university teaching staff unions.

It is also important to note the upward revisions that mostly relate to Appropriations- in-Aid (A-in-A). Many people have criticised the digitisation of government services through eCitizen. Members will see numerous revisions in A-in-A if they skim through the Schedules and the Committee's Report. My colleague here is reminding me that A-in-A revenue projections amount to a total of almost Ksh19 billion. These resources were not factored in the Budget but are now realisable. This has come out of the digitisation of government services through eCitizen. Many government entities, including Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), can now raise more resources through A-in-A due to the digitisation of government services. As you may see, there is an upward mobility of A-in-A in the State Department of University Education and others.

Hon. Speaker, there is also more allocation to healthcare. Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH), Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), and Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) are getting additional resources. I do not want to get into the figures. This speaks to the need to ensure that our national referral hospitals are adequately resourced to offer Kenyans services when needed, especially under the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF). An additional sum of Ksh3 billion has been allocated to the Emergency Chronic and Critical Illness Fund. A sum of Ksh1.5 billion is for stipends for healthcare professional interns. A sum of Ksh600 million is for operationalising primary healthcare networks. This significantly addresses the issues raised during the Members' retreat in Naivasha when the SHA management team appeared before us. We then asked the Departmental Committee on Health to sit down and look into the issues bedevilling the implementation of the Universal Healthcare Program in Kenya. The low level of resourcing of the Primary Healthcare Fund and the Emergency Chronic and Critical Illnesses Fund was identified as part of the issues and challenges. It is important for Kenyans to appreciate that the more members enlist in SHIF and make contributions, the more efficient and effective the scheme will become in catering for the needs of its customers or the needs of patients who walk into hospitals. For instance, the primary healthcare facility is meant to ensure that any Kenyan registered under SHIF or Taifa Care can walk into a Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 hospital, see a doctor, receive a prescription, get treated, and go home without paying a coin. That is as long as that primary healthcare facility, whether private or public, is registered with SHA.

Hon. Speaker, I am saddened to learn that in some counties, including Trans Nzoia County, many hospitals have not yet been enlisted with SHA. No one can walk into a public health facility and get SHA services if the county government has not enlisted the facility in SHA. That is where you hear much negativity. People, including some county governors, claim that SHA is not working. It cannot work if the hospital is not listed with SHA. The system will not work if you are not registered as a paid-up member. The first pillar of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) that we deliberated on when we passed those laws about a year and a half ago was to ensure free primary healthcare in Level 1, 2 and 3 hospitals across the country. However, resourcing those healthcare facilities must come from the Exchequer, which is what we are now doing. We are giving them an additional sum of Ksh3 billion, which is projected to be realised from members' monthly premiums. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

Therefore, I encourage Kenyans to continue enlisting with the SHIF. Yesterday, I had the occasion to meet a good friend of mine – a reverend who has been very critical of the UHC programme. He told me that SHA is working because his mum’s hospital bill, which was to the tune of Ksh800,000, had been catered for at Kenyatta University Teaching and Referral Hospital. The monies that we are appropriating today are not just for the Primary Health Care Fund but also for the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illnesses Fund (ECCIF). I had the occasion to meet a bodaboda rider who registered with SHA but never paid for his premiums and got into an accident. Under the health laws we passed for the SHA, emergencies, accidents, and chronic or critical illnesses are catered for by the ECCIF. We are allocating another Ksh3 billion to that Fund to ensure that if people who are registered with SHA and get involved in accidents, they can receive treatment at Kenyatta National Hospital, Kenyatta University Teaching and Referral Hospital, Moi University Teaching and Referral Hospital, Kisii Referral Hospital or any other Level 4, 5 or 6 hospital. You will be treated and SHA will cater for your bills.

Hon. Speaker, I can see that I am running out of time. It is also important that I mention the issue of the use of Article 223 of the Constitution. We have deliberated on this matter at length. I am happy to note that as much as we have requests of almost Ksh86 billion for use under Article 223 of the Constitution, this is not unlike what was happening before when the Ministry of the National Treasury and Economic Planning would spend money and then come to Parliament for approval. This time round, I note that out of Ksh88 billion, only Ksh44 billion is going to Recurrent Expenditure, and Ksh43 billion is going to Development Expenditure, of which only Ksh40 billion has already been disbursed. That means another Ksh48 billion…

Give him a minute to finish.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. That means they have to come to this House for approval of the additional Ksh48 billion. That is what the National Treasury should be doing. As I congratulate Hon. Atandi for his election as the Chairperson of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, and Hon. Pukose and all the Members who have joined this Committee, I ask them to ensure that they set this as a new trend. The Ministry of the National Treasury and Economic Planning must come to the National Assembly to seek approval for expenditures before they spend money, unlike what was happening before – where they would spend money on all manner of things, including paying for land compensation, which was not an emergency, and then come to seek parliamentary approval. At least this time round, funds are being spent on emergency security operations, drought mitigation and many other things listed in the Report and the schedules. I do not need to go through all of them. They all fall under the category of what we ought to approve under Article 223 of the Constitution. I also congratulate the new Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Economic Planning for endeavouring to do what he promised to do during his vetting; that is, adhere to the spirit and letter of the Constitution and honouring the work of the National Assembly. With those remarks, I support.

Next is the Member for Alego Usonga.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. Before I make my submissions on the Second Supplementary Estimates, I want to take this opportunity to thank the Almighty God for enabling me to be the Chairperson of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, taking over from the very able and competent Member for Kiharu, Hon. Ndindi Nyoro. Since the constitution of the Broad-Based Government, the President has done things that have confounded many Kenyans, including re-organising the Government and bringing some of us into the Cabinet. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

Hon. Speaker, you were present during the funeral of the late Chief of the Defence Forces, General Ogola, when I challenged the President on the fact that members of certain communities have never held certain positions in this country. As the Leader of the Majority Party has rightfully said, today, the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Economic Planning is Hon. John Mbadi. That is a big milestone that has never been witnessed in this country since Independence. Today, I also break the record as the first man from that region to chair the Budget and Appropriations Committee. That is a very big milestone too. First, I would like to thank the President of the Republic of Kenya for his bold leadership and for ensuring that he acts on whatever he says. When the President said he wants to unite the country, this is the real evidence that he is doing so. Secondly, I thank my Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party and its leadership. You know Baba is always present and, therefore, I thank him for this opportunity. I also thank the leadership of this House, especially Hon. Junet Mohammed. I confess that Hon. Junet is the person who re-organises our Azimio la Umoja side. I chair this Committee because of the confidence that Hon. Junet Mohammed has in me. Those things must go on record even before I start working. Hon. Speaker, I want to make a few remarks about the Second Supplementary Estimates before the House. The reality of the matter is that these Supplementary Estimates are before the House at a time when the economy is stabilising. I should repeat that for everybody to hear. The truth of the matter is that the economy is stabilising and these Estimates are before the House at the correct time. One piece of evidence that the economy is stabilising is that prices of basic food commodities have come down. Inflation has moved from the high rate of 10 per cent in 2024 to about 3.5 per cent as of February. Also, the Kenya Shilling has stabilised against major currencies, especially the US Dollar, which is evidence that the economy is doing very well. Fuel prices have also come down. Those three factors have given me the confidence that we are doing well and we are on the right track as a country. One thing that has been achieved, courtesy of this development, is low food prices. Basic commodity prices have also come down, and Kenyans are happy. One of the factors that have led to this success is investments in agriculture. You remember that the President decided to invest in production by subsidising seeds and fertilisers. That led to what we now call ‘sufficient food production and low pricing.’ We have also had very good weather over the years, which has helped us.

Hon. Speaker, we also need to recognise the challenges that we face. One of the challenges we face, captured in the Second Supplementary Estimates, is the piling of our public debt. We are spending a lot of money paying our debts as they mature. That will be a very big problem as we move forward. There is also pressure for expenditures. When I sat in the Budget and Appropriations Committee in the last Session, I realised that all sectors require resources. The roads, education and health sectors require resources. The pressure for resources will be a very big challenge for us. As a House, we must look for ways of raising our own resources to fund some of those demands.

I also take this opportunity to thank the Liaison Committee, led by the able Deputy Speaker. Hon. Speaker, through your ruling and to help the House make progress pending the composition of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, you decided that the Liaison Committee handle the Second Supplementary Estimates. Hon. Speaker, I can confirm that the Committee has done a very good job. They have listened to Kenyans and other Committees. The Report before the House has the full support of the Members of my Committee. During our meeting in the morning, we were briefed on the progress of the Second Supplementary Estimates. We were convinced that the Committee has done a good job. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

As I wind up, concerns have been raised in this House about the manner in which the previous Committee would allocate resources. I am fully aware of the issue, and the only thing I want to promise the country is that I will preside over the sharing of public resources in a manner that respects the principle of equity and diversity of the country so that each section of this country can benefit from national resources. I assure everyone of that commitment. With the support of the Members of this House, I am sure we will succeed.

Thank you, Chairperson of the Budget and Appropriations Committee. Next on my screen is Hon. Bowen. Give Hon. Bowen the microphone.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker, for giving me an opportunity to support the Second Supplementary Estimates 2024/2025. Budgets are projections. That is why we quarterly review the Budget based on the performance of revenue collection by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA). That is why we keep revising our programmes and budgets, which is the stage we are at. We are evaluating the Second Supplementary Estimates to provide resources to run the Government for the next three months.

As a Member of the Liaison Committee, I participated in deliberations on these Supplementary Estimates. We are operating at a very difficult time as a country, especially after the rejection of the Finance Bill 2024 during the Gen Z demonstrations we experienced nationwide. We prioritised key areas in this Budget, such as the education sector, because of the teachers that the Government employed. Some were interns who had not been absorbed during the first round of employment. There are some CBAs between the Government and various actors in the education sector. For example, the Government agreed to pay Moi University lecturers their salary arrears. Therefore, we had to allocate some resources to cater for that.

Hon. Speaker, another area that the Committee prioritised is the security sector. We have a mission in Haiti. Quite a number of police operations are ongoing across the country. Because of the banditry cases in the North Rift areas of Turkana and Elgeyo Marakwet, resources have been allocated to cater for operations in those areas and our military. Those are important sectors because the economy will be unstable if there is no peace in the country.

There are many stalled road projects in the country. We prioritised allocating funds for those roads in the Supplementary Estimates to ensure contractors complete stalled projects. This may not touch all regions in the country. However, we ensured that we resourced the Ministry so that they could allow some of the contractors to complete the roads ahead of the rainy season.

We also considered the health sector. We have heard the outcry from Kenyans, especially regarding the UHC system implemented through the SHA. The SHA system is now working. There are only a few teething challenges. The SHA works for those who are registered and follow the laid down procedures. Sometimes, people go to the hospital and demand to be attended to, yet they are not registered with SHA. I request Kenyans to register with SHA if they want to get assistance.

Hon. Speaker, we have also allocated some money towards the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) to help students still waiting for bursaries. I am aware that Members are wondering why NG-CDF disbursements have not been done. I would like to tell Members that we have an allocation that will go towards paying bursaries for our students.

We also considered the water sector. There are many stalled dam projects across the country. We have provided resources in the Supplementary Estimates to sort out pending bills and ensure that the stalled projects resume and the contractors return to the sites.

Hon. Speaker, on the issue of digitisation, I thank the Government for moving many government services to the e-Citizen portal. Previously, the Government would collect The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

Appropriation-in-Aid (A-in-A) of about Ksh500 million per month. Nowadays, the Government collects close to Ksh19 billion monthly through the e-Citizen portal.

Hon. Baya is confusing me with his Kiswahili. If we continue to digitise and put more services on the e-Citizen portal, I am sure that we will collect more in terms of A-in-A.

Hon. Speaker, when the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Economic Planning appeared before us, we noted that many government services have been digitised except the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS). The Government should integrate IFMIS with the payroll and the pension systems. We should have a Single Treasury Account (STA) system and create an accrual account so that each Ministry does not have its own account. By so doing, we will be streamlining government financial operations. We also request the National Treasury to have a debt register. We realised that our debt management system is still done manually. We should digitise it so that we have one debt management system for the Government.

Lastly, Article 223 of the Constitution can be misused if this House is not careful. Money can be withdrawn to fund a serious security emergency. However, if it is not properly audited, it can be misused. Therefore, we request the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Economic Planning to ensure that whenever it becomes necessary for him to invoke Article 223 of the Constitution to withdraw funds, he writes to this House for approval. Hon. Speaker, with those many remarks, I support and urge my colleagues to support Supplementary Estimates II so that we can resource our Government in the remaining months of the financial year. Thank you.

Next is Hon. George Murugara.

Thank you very much, Hon. Speaker. Allow me to also join the Members of this House in supporting Supplementary Estimates II, in respect of which the Liaison Committee burnt the midnight oil to ensure that we have this Report ready. Consequently, we can approve the same to run the country for the next couple of months. Allow me to congratulate Hon. Atandi, the new Chairperson of the Budget and Appropriations Committee. I have worked with him in that Committee in several Sessions in the past, and I know he is very firm and meticulous. Therefore, this job is cut out for him. We will only ask him to be a little bit slow to allow us to do Committee work, and when we go there, let him not just tell us that we have to go by what we say. We will be there to plead for our agencies, and he has to listen to us and allocate the resources that those agencies will require to operate properly. Hon. Speaker, it goes without saying that the country continues to make strides in various sectors of the economy. This is a welcome development, especially after losing the Finance Bill 2024. Since then, the country has been operating on Supplementary Estimates. I have just seen a report to the effect that we have actually paid up the Eurobond loan through various economic transactions, some of which may not be known to me because I am a layman in economic matters, and that we have been able to procure more funding for the country. Therefore, our liquidity levels continue to improve. As we pass this Supplementary Budget, mine would be to ask the National Treasury and the Committee on Budget and Appropriations to consider the entire country for development, even if not equally but equitably. You know very well that we have had murmurs in the House in the last few days. Those murmurs came up when we were shown figures regarding how budgets were applied to various parts of the country. We cannot say by any iota The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

of speech that this was equitable because it was possibly done in a very covert manner behind our backs. We did not know what was being done because it was covered. However, it is now coming to light that there could have been a skewed allocation of resources to favour certain regions to the disadvantage of other regions. Let the National Treasury now come out, especially for the rural marginalised constituencies, including my own Tharaka Constituency. We need to see resources being allocated so that we can also catch up with the areas that are developed in the country. Hon. Speaker, we need to see resources going to energy. We have allocated resources both in the Supplementary Estimates and at the BPS. Areas whose connectivity percentages are very low must be considered. We have areas that need to be watered. Our level of water availability is not the same in as much as water is devolved. The national Government actually makes the policy and budgeting for water, and it should rein in even county governments to ensure that there is equity when it comes to water supply in various areas. We cannot debate these Supplementary Estimates without mentioning roads. It cannot be that only certain areas of this country will be developed in terms of road network when others are left behind. As we look forward to the next BPS, which is the Budget for the year 2025/2026, we want to see equity such that areas that do not enjoy tarmacked roads are allocated sufficient funds for tarmacking roads. It is not fair to have almost 100 per cent of certain areas networked with tarmac roads while other parts of the country have nearly zero tarmac roads. That cannot be fair. It cannot be just. That cannot be equitable in any way. Hon. Speaker, allow me to speak for some of the agencies that are under the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs, including the Judiciary – which is an independent arm of the Government. I thank the Liaison Committee for making certain provisions to ensure the Judiciary is well funded through this Supplementary Budget and the BPS. The Judiciary has always complained that, as Parliament, we do not take care of them sufficiently and that the lion’s share of the Budget goes to the Executive, followed by Parliament. They say we are a little bit selfish when it comes to allocating ourselves money, and that we give them what they consider to be paltry and insufficient resources. I thank the Liaison Committee for the provisions you have made for the Judiciary in this Supplementary Budget and the BPS. We urge the National Treasury to sustain the same because there has been additional funding to ensure that the Judiciary succeeds. We require new judges, new magistrates and new staff. That is why we have made those provisions. We also require courthouses in all constituencies in the country. It is high time that people are served in their local areas. They do not have to walk long distances to acquire legal or judicial services. Let judicial services get as near the people as they can. This should also apply to all government agencies, including the State Law Department, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), and even the Witness Protection Agency. When representatives of these entities appeared before the Departmental Committee that I chair during the Budget hearings, they talked a lot about their desire to establish their presence in the counties to be visible and render services there. With those remarks, I support and urge Members to pass this Motion.

Next is Hon. Makali Mulu.

Thank you very much, Hon. Speaker, for giving me an opportunity to add my voice to this important debate on Supplementary Estimates II. I want to start by appreciating the work that the Liaison Committee has done in terms of processing the Supplementary Estimates. I am very happy that the Liaison Committee got a chance to do this job because, in the past, when the Chairpersons appeared before the Budget and Appropriations Committee, they would complain that the Committee reduced their budgets. I am now sure that they will not be saying that this Committee is reducing their budgets The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

because they have seen what it takes to process a budget. You procedurally look at the bigger picture, not the Departmental Committee picture, which my friend Hon. Murugara is focused on. I am very happy that he has managed to go through this process under the stewardship of a different Committee of the National Assembly. Hon. Speaker, having said so, I want to make a few observations. Article 223 of the Constitution is where issues of Supplementary Estimates are anchored. Normally, there are two key areas to consider when dealing with a Supplementary Budget. The purpose of a Supplementary Budget is to address issues of unplanned activities critical for nation-building. Hon. Speaker, the second one is on emergencies. Anytime we process a Supplementary Budget, we should consider these things. However, over time, there has been a problem with how we process it. If you look at the past reports of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, you realise that these things have been captured many times. One of the key areas in which we raise concerns is the development budget. The Public Finance Management Act, 2012, provides that we should have a ratio of at least 70 per cent Recurrent Expenditure and 30 per cent Development Expenditure. In many cases, when making the annual estimates, we try to adhere to these ratios. However, when you start working on the Supplementary Budget, what suffers many times is the development budget. In most cases, as we close the year, you realise that the development budget is reduced to a level which cannot sustain serious economic growth. This is a matter the House needs to take very seriously so that even as we process this Budget, we ensure that we do not allow a serious reduction of the development budget unless we do not want to grow the economy. This is one area I needed to mention. The other critical area, because I have looked at the Supplementary Budget, is public participation. I will mention the history of where it started. It was allowed in this House so that when you go out there and interact with Kenyans in different counties, it is not just a case of talking to people and not doing anything as Parliament. As the National Assembly, we agreed that it was important for the Executive to allow some resources so that when Parliament goes out for public participation, it can include some projects of public interest in the Budget, which may not be captured by the Executive. We introduced public participation resources based on that. However, they have been abused over time. I saw the debate about public participation yesterday. Because I have been a Member of this Committee for a long time, we have ensured that every five years, none of the counties goes without being visited by the Budget and Appropriations Committee. The allocation has always been Ksh100 million for each county. I challenge my colleagues to tell me which county has never been visited within five years so that they can get their public participation money. Lately, there has been a tendency whereby even after allocating money for public participation, we end up removing the same resources during Supplementary Estimates. This House should defend the position that that money should never be reduced during Supplementary Budget. The other bit relating to that is the situation whereby it is known we have some money. If you look at the BPS, we have allocated Ksh3 billion for public participation. You will not understand. You will find we have Ksh10 billion for public participation when the annual estimates come. You ask yourself where it came from. I do not want to go into details, but if it is required, I will provide them because I have been on this Committee for a long time. As a House, we must protect the money meant for public participation to achieve our goal as Parliament. This will help us to be seen as doing something in the budget-making process. The other important issue is the misuse of the emergency kitty. I like what the Leader of the Majority Party has said. We have seen many times when the national Treasury goes out of its way to use Article 223 of the Constitution to fund activities which can never be categorised as emergencies. As a House, we need to guard that position. Article 223 of the The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

Constitution should only be used purely for emergency matters. In that case, we will manage the Budget as it should be. The third critical point is the Budget deficit. All the Members in this House know something called fiscal consolidation. It is a matter which is being discussed everywhere in this country. It appears in all Budget proposals. We started very well. We have proposed that in the coming year, we will have a Budget deficit of 4.3 per cent of the GDP. However, I can tell you for sure that by the time we close the year, it will be around 6 per cent or 5.7 per cent. This means we are using the Supplementary Budgets to widen the budget deficit. In reality, the more you do that, the more you create room for more borrowing. The other worrying thing is our borrowing ratio. We have moved from borrowing externally to borrowing domestically. If you look at the ratios, we borrow more domestically than externally. What does that do to our economy? In domestic borrowing, you pay higher interest rates and have a shorter repayment period. The loans become very expensive. That is why much of our revenue goes towards servicing interest payments. I have seen that we have proposed to borrow 65 per cent externally and 35 per cent internally. Once we as a House take that position, can we stick to it so that we do not allow this flexibility, which allows the changing of ratios? It has serious implications for the economy. As we approve this Supplementary Budget because it is important, we must also analyse it. What do these additional figures do to our Budget deficit in terms of the ratios we approved the other time? The other thing is the prioritisation of expenditure. This worries me a lot. I speak as an economist. In any economy, we must have priorities in terms of where we spend our money as a country—public expenditure. When you analyse this, in most cases, you will not be surprised to find that we are pushing additional resources for Recurrent Expenditure and not Development Expenditure. How I wish we, as House, could start saying that enough is enough, and that we want to see more resources being channelled to Development Expenditure as opposed to Recurrent Expenditure. In that case, we will grow our cake. The bigger the cake becomes, the more we can all share it, and everyone gets a part of it. Prioritising expenditure is a matter that has been addressed for many years I have been in this House. As a House, we need to be very firm so that when the Budget and Appropriations Committee says where we need to be, Members support that position. That way, Supplementary Budgets will help the country instead of making things worse. I am happy to see that the revenue status is changing. The Leader of the Majority Party has said that we are now collecting more than we had projected. However, when you look at the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) statistics, we are still underperforming in most revenue streams. We are not performing as expected. I wish that we also ensure that we do not have any leakages when it comes to revenue collection. In that case, we will get more revenue to fund our activities. In conclusion, I am happy to hear that we have put more focus on areas like the Social Health Authority (SHA) and education. Health workers are complaining, and university funding is a problem. We have challenges with SHA in terms of financing most of the critical areas and primary healthcare. It is important that we allocate more resources to these social sectors because they form the foundation for proper economic development. With those many remarks, Hon. Speaker, I support the Motion.

Hon. Innocent Mugabe. He is not here. Hon. Owen Baya.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the Second Supplementary Budget Estimates for the Financial Year 2024/2025. Supplementary Budgets are usually provided even when the year is ending, especially when some areas need money. I remember when Hon. John Mbadi, Emeritus Leader of the Minority Party in this Chamber, took office as the Cabinet Secretary for the National The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

Treasury and Economic Planning, he said very clearly that he would not use Article 223 of the Constitution for Government expenditure, but here we are again. We see it. It looks like we cannot run away from it. We must speak to it and provide money. As a country, we must ensure we make money available for salaries and allowances for constitutional and independent offices. There were shortfalls in the Budget. So, we have to supply money and ensure the salaries are paid. Another important component of these Supplementary Estimates is that the Committee observed that pension payments under Consolidated Fund Services (CFS) will remain unchanged at Ksh2 billion to Ksh3.15 billion, including ordinary pensions. Commuted pension is at…

Hon. Temporary Speaker, many Kenyans suffer because they have never received their pension after retirement. Many teachers out there retired, but they have not received their pension. Many public servants, chiefs, and assistant chiefs cry out loud because they have not received their pensions. If this Supplementary Budget will avail funds to pay chiefs and other public servants, then it will do what is required to be done. One important component is the health insurance. The Social Health Authority (SHA) has registered over 20.2 million Kenyans. There are many stories about how it does not work, but there are also very good ones about how it works. The SHA is working. There are many Kenyans who benefit from it. What we need to do is to ensure that we provide money for it. We are providing more money to ensure that both the Primary Healthcare Fund and the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund are allocated an additional Ksh6 billion in the Second Supplementary Budget. This is a step forward to ensure we provide universal healthcare for this country. What is very important to me is tourism. The creation of the Wildlife Conservation Trust Fund is in progress. The necessary funds have already been deposited. However, an additional Ksh50 million is required for resource mobilisation, recruitment, staff maintenance, and other operational activities. It is important for wildlife conservation heritage to continue in this country. Therefore, an additional fund to ensure we run the Wildlife Conservation Trust is a step in the right direction. I want to speak about the blue economy. The State Department for Water and Sanitation has faced a significant budget cut. Its gross estimates have been reduced by Ksh22 billion. There is a slight increase of Ksh87.2 billion for Recurrent Expenditure. The Development Expenditure has been slashed by Ksh22.9 billion. This saddens me because I come from an area where the blue economy is key. We speak in this Parliament and other platforms and say that the blue economy is important. It must be seen in the Budget. You cannot say that the blue economy is important or that we want to invest in it and cut that magnitude of funds. The blue economy is important. We need to resuscitate the fishing industry. We need to ensure that all matters on the blue economy are properly done. However, we cannot do it if we cut the Budget by Ksh22.9 billion. Several landing sites need to be built in Kilifi North or Kilifi County. This will ensure that fishermen have areas where they can store and process their fish. Cutting the blue economy expenditure by Ksh22 billion hurts the economy we depend on at the Coast. I note the cut and request that the State Department ensure we allocate more money there. One of the important things that we need to take care of when using this Supplementary Budget is the many Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs). We have seen a proliferation The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

of strikes in this country. There is a lot of industrial unrest and labour issues in this country because of money. I am happy because this Supplementary Budget will take care of that. One of the most important things here is that certain universities are almost on the brink of collapse: Moi University and Egerton University. They require urgent measures to ensure that they stay afloat. One of the things that I have noted here is that some little money has been put aside to help Moi University and Egerton University. This is very positive. I give the professors there the good news that this Government has set aside money to rescue Moi University and Egerton University. These are good universities. I went to one of the most prestigious universities in this country. There are alumni who went to Moi University and Egerton University. They are ashamed of them because they look like ramshackles now. I want to give them the good news that 'these small universities' will get money to rescue them.

This is very good news. Some of us went to very good universities in this country, but not Moi University or Egerton University.

On a point of order, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Hon. Keynan, what is out of order?

Hon. Temporary Speaker, is it in order for Hon. Baya to use the Floor of this House to demean and downgrade critical national institutions like Moi University and Egerton University, while our role as representatives of Kenyans is to boost their image and pride? If a person who is not a Kenyan citizen listened to what the Deputy Leader of the Majority Party has said today, they would believe Moi University is a small university. I am an alumnus of Moi University, as well as Hon. Duale and Prof Kindiki. It was the second-best university in this country. The fact that some reckless individuals who lack vision have run it down does not, in any way, negate the critical role it has played. What you should tell us right now is how can we secure… For your information, I am glad because the Leader of the Majority Party is also here. Even the University of Nairobi is on the verge of collapse, and you know it. Are we safe?

Give me a minute, my friend. You are the one who started this topic.

Hon. Keynan, are you on a point of argument or a point of order?

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I am on a point of order. Our education sector is going through very serious crises: man-made crises, financial crises, mismanagement crises, and perception crises. Once upon a time, my friend, Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah, was my Vice-Chairman in the Public Investments Committee (PIC). However, he is a big man today. He used to say he was a product of the University of Nairobi. It is no more. We have lost Moi University because of mismanagement. I expect the good Deputy Leader of the Majority Party to say we are allocating money to resuscitate those good former institutions The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

to their original form so that these young Kenyans who are now still going to colleges can be proud of these institutions.

Hon. Baya.

I thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. This is why we are allocating money to resuscitate 'these small universities' so they can become big, like the University of Nairobi or the famous Kenyatta University. We are doing this so that they get to that level. So, stay put. We are resuscitating Moi University and Egerton University, which is very good news for this country. They need to come back to their feet so that they can continue to produce Hon. Adan Keynan and other educated Kenyans. On internal security, there is need to fund certain projects or make money available, so that some of the projects that had been abandoned can be resuscitated. This Supplementary Budget does that.

Hon. Keynan took two minutes from Hon. Owen Baya. Give him two minutes.

We are allocating more money to administration and internal security to give those underfunded areas an opportunity. One other important thing is energy. Without enough energy, we cannot run this economy or factories. We cannot manufacture or produce as expected of us. There is underfunding in the energy sector. There was a very noble idea that every constituency would get Ksh50 million for rural electrification, which came in the previous Budget. However, the Generation Z issues happened, and we lost it. I wanted this money to be put back in this Supplementary Budget. I want to rally members of this House that the only amendment we need to make is to ensure we put back the Ksh50 million per constituency for rural electrification. This will enable those areas that do not have electricity to get it, at least in this financial year. This is a noble dream which will equalise this country. It was taken away during that time. This Supplementary Budget should have done that. They should have reinstated that Ksh50 million multiplied by 290. We are the Budget-making House. I want to request Hon. Members here to stand up to move an amendment to put back that money, the Ksh50 million per constituency, so that the people of Kilifi North and other areas in this country can also see power in the villages. There is a skewed distribution of power in this country. However, we can use the Ksh50 million that was intended to rectify the error that was there. I request the Hon. Members of this House to consider that as we pass this Supplementary Budget. I will move an amendment to put back the Ksh50 million per constituency so that we can get electricity in our areas. Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Hon. Florence Jematiah.

Thank you so much. I also want to add to what my colleagues have said about the Supplementary Budget, which will culminate into our main Budget in the next three months. From the onset, I declare I am a Member of the Budget and Appropriations Committee. I also congratulate my Chair and the Vice-Chair, whom we elected today. I congratulate all the new Members who joined us. Some of us were called remnants yesterday. We are here to serve the people. I listened and read briefly on the Supplementary Budget. It was done to correct most of the injustices done during the lack of passing of the Finance Bill. It is a very crucial document. This country needs this money for growth and prosperity and to enable the country to run. As we debate, we only emphasise the areas that need more money so that the country runs smoothly. I want to talk about most Departmental Committees. I sit and oversee budgets that come from Departmental Committees and mostly ministries. Sometimes, people think Members of Parliament sit to formulate and pass the Budget. The Executive, through the President's The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

economic advisors, plays a key role in determining where the Budget of this country goes. Members of Parliament, specifically members of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, only pass what respective departments give. It is very easy to say, "Members of Parliament, please give us equity when passing the Budget". The equity does not start in Parliament but right from the government departments and ministries. We should ask them to distribute resources fully, and then it will reflect the map of this country when it comes to us here on the Floor of the House. People are talking about injustices in resource allocation and that some areas in the country have, for a very long time, benefited more than others in water, roads, electricity, or energy. It is because whoever sits there determines. The Executive plays a key role many times. As a Member of Parliament, my work is to oversee, legislate, and represent. As I do that, the Executive should help us represent the people properly by giving us the opportunity through resource allocation and distributing these resources in a fair and justifiable way. As a Member of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, I will be among the few who will be strict to see that resources are distributed fairly in this country. Apart from the teething problems people say we still have, the whole health programme is working. That was especially true when we introduced Taifa Care as a replacement for the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF). This Supplementary Budget considers that. We must have consistency through not only government programmes but also the registration of Kenyans. They should learn that services are only given to them when they adhere to the rules and policies given by the Government to have the flow. On the other hand, I have a problem with SHA. I can see the proposed Chair of the Departmental Committee on Health looking at me. The claims done in hospitals are my biggest problem. Patients go to hospitals, are treated courtesy of SHA, and go home to proclaim that SHA is working. However, when hospitals' claims are not paid in time, the tendency is that registered patients might go back to the same hospital and not find their names. People lose jobs and the infrastructure of hospitals when they do not pay claims in time. There will be no proper way of sustaining hospitals. Giving services through SHA is one thing. However, make sure that claims are paid in good time. Officers within the ministry should be able to know when to reimburse given hospitals. Let us use Nairobi Women's Hospital as an example. It is a very critical hospital. There have been many claims that this hospital has been closed. Patients go there, get all their services, and go home happy. However, they ended up closing the hospital because it was not reimbursed in good time. This means the same or other patients do not find the same treatment and services. That is a key component in this SHA. We need to consider these things as we put money there so that it does not look like only some people are benefiting or we have only a few appreciating, while the bigger picture is actually lost. I also want to talk about education. Hon. Members before me have spoken about universities, the new model, and the dilapidation of good education programmes that used to be there. People lose the first and original track of academics as time goes on. We need proper management as much as we allocate this money. Who has the mandate to oversee management in government institutions? We will just be doing vain budgeting every year if we give money to universities, primary and secondary schools through Vice-Chancellors and heads, yet we do not have people who follow up to make sure the money is used properly and in internal purposes. Most rural public secondary and primary schools, and even schools in urban areas nowadays, are all in bad shape. You will always realise that Members of Parliament inject money into the same schools through the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF). No one in the management or teachers care because it is a public school. You The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

may buy desks and equip schools with laptops today, but start afresh next term. This means that it is not about allocating money. For resources to pass through generations, we need to look at the managers. It is not hard to get money, but it is always very hard to manage it for the betterment of our future.

Otherwise, I support. As the survivor of remnants, I will be very vigilant this time. We will do what it takes to ensure that resources in this country are equitably distributed. Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Just a minute, Hon. Julius Melly. For known reasons, after you, I will give preference to our Muslim brothers and sisters.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I know our Muslim brothers have Iftar celebrations. I rise to support this Supplementary Estimates II. The Bill takes into consideration the Medium-Term Debt Management Strategy, ensuring that spending is reduced and does not go against debt management in the country. I want to point out several issues. More important is what the Supplementary Estimates took into consideration. The issues of importance include the pensions of retirees. As much as retirees served this country with dignity, commitment, and dedication, many of them have problems in their retirement. They are unable to pay medical bills, school fees, and assist their family members. They cannot even afford to buy bread or put food on the table, yet they served this country for 30 to 40 years. This is when pensions should be the first charge in all our payments. We need to know that the Government is planning immediately. I ask the National Treasury to put a lot of emphasis on the State Department of Planning and Economic Development. This country will have a problem if we cannot plan or know how much of the money we collect is supposed to go to retirees, debts, development and service provision. Retirees should be the first people to be considered. A majority of Members here are actually in their 50s or 60s. Some are even more senior. I am saying so because even the young will retire into problems as they leave this House if we do not make a plan. I call on us to ensure that critical considerations come into play and that we do not place cuts that injure certain programmes, projects, and government services when the National Treasury prepares the Budget or when we prepare Supplementary Budgets every other time. Secondly, the Budget speaks to several cuts that at times injure the overall growth of the economy. We need to consider certain areas and know why we make cuts. Let me put pending bills into consideration. For example, the Government signed and awarded contracts for 17 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) projects. However, the money has not been provided in this Supplementary Budget. First, this means the Government will get into Court litigations and receive much interest. In fact, the Government will lose much because they have gone against contractual obligations. In trying to develop Supplementary Budgets, we really need to know the reason we bring them. What will contractors do if 52 TVET institutions do not have the money yet, and the ministry awarded contracts to them? These contractors owe suppliers. They have workers and individuals who depend on them. If this money is paid to them, it will spur the economy of that area and enable the young people who could have worked in these projects the power to purchase, buy and use resources. Having non-strategic and uninformed budget cuts is quite wrong. This brings us to planning. I emphasise the aspect of planning in every institution, more importantly in this country. We should plan the whole hog from feasibility studies to completion whenever we allocate resources and try to bring into place a project or a programme. That is so that we do not have ad-hoc financing and cuts to the extent that projects stall. On education and training, the Budget had a provision for capitation to schools that is insufficient. Out of the Ksh22,000 we allocated to schools, the money withheld at the The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

headquarters is about Ksh5,000. The money that reaches schools is very little. In this case, we need to ensure that capitation reaches institutions as much the money is insufficient. We have a capitation deficit of Ksh20 billion for secondary schools alone. We have an overall capitation deficit of almost Ksh30 billion to the basic education sub-sector. That means even school principals have a problem running those schools because they use this money to pay the Board of Management (BOM) teachers. They will use the same money to buy equipment in those schools. Allocations in the Supplementary Budget, especially capitation for schools and, more importantly, universities and TVET institutions, are insufficient. I know universities have issues, especially with the funding formula. We talked to the Ministry of Education and the Higher Education Loans Board regarding the issues the courts raised while addressing particular issues and ensuring that the funding formula gets money to students. Stalled projects in universities are the biggest problem in this Supplementary Budget. We have over 80 stalled projects in universities. I think only two of them were funded. This now raises many questions regarding the rot the rains will occasion, the pending bills that will attract penalties to the Government, and students' hostels or administration blocks and laboratories that are not in use. As we move ahead with the Supplementary Budget and now the BPS, it is prudent for this House to sit down and allocate resources to areas that touch the people the most. I support SHA. It has been allocated Ksh6 billion. These resources will go a long way in assisting our people. I congratulate the new chairman of the Departmental Committee on Health because he is a renowned medic. I ask him to ensure that for that particular resource, the programme succeeds and solves the teething problems we have in SHA. SHA is a very good programme. For those small teething issues, set up a team of experts in administration, Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) and management so that as we move along. If those issues are corrected, Kenyans can walk into hospitals, be treated, and get home without any problem. This issue of many complaints being raised every other time should not arise. It is a management and ICT issue that needs to be addressed by our chairman of the Departmental Committee on Health. I ask the Hon. Members that we move across after those particular issues. It would even be good if Hon. Nyikal, who is a very respectable Member of this House, brings Members to speed with issues raised and tells us how you would handle them, how we can assist the Government to publicise it out there in our constituencies and run out so that every Kenyan can benefit from this. Apart from that, we have the youth programmes. These supplementary estimates have addressed a number of youth programmes, some water programmes and, more importantly, the roads. If the issues that have been raised, especially the payment of pending bills on roads, will be addressed, then you will see that most of the issues that we have, on circulation of money in the country, from the water and road contractors and contractors in schools, will be a thing of the past. Lastly is the issue of the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG- CDF). I have seen that we have allocated resources to NG-CDF. NG-CDF is a very pivotal fund in this country. Let this Fund be disbursed as early as possible because it affects every home. Bursaries are 90 per cent funded by NG-CDF and the construction of schools. If we are to do a comparative study on how some funds have assisted this country, the NG-CDF has seen the development of thousands of schools across Kenya. It has seen a number of students who could have otherwise not been able to go through school benefit from NG-CDF scholarships. I have seen in my constituency where I have students from orphaned backgrounds get school fees and go through secondary schools. The other issues that we need to put much emphasis on are the diaspora and foreign labour. This is when we need to look at what other nations have done. We have seen what the The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

migrant labourers from our sister countries like India and Southeast Asia have done, even in the Middle East. This is when we need to study what they have done and how we can do it and do it even better. I rise to support this and ask my colleagues to support the Supplementary Estimates II of 2025/2026. Thank you.

Hon. Adan Keynan.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. By definition, supplementary is used to address unexpected and unavoidable circumstances. I see people questioning because a Government is a system. In fact, in some jurisdictions, some of these developed countries have supplementary estimates almost every month. It is not a surprise. It is not out of place that we have these Supplementary Estimates II nearly three months to the end of the financial year 2024/2025. It is not unexpected. The other bit is that supplementary estimates are also used to adjust the budget realities with the fiscal framework. Equally, supplementary estimates are also expected to cater for any carryovers from the previous financial year. In our context, this second supplementary is in line with the Public Finance Management Act, 2012. It is not, again, out of the blue. I have heard people talk about it. The framers - and I know you are a seasoned lawyer, Hon. Temporary Speaker - of the current Constitution were not fools to have Article 223. We are running a system. Every Member here should try to have a budget for their family for one week. Within that week, you will change three or four times. How about a state or a system managing the affairs of over 50 million people? It is not out of the norm. There are certain things that we need to address. While we expect that is the reality, we must also look at what will add value to the well-being of the people of Kenya. In particular, the crisis in the education sector. Is it because of a lack of funding? Is it because of inadequate funding? Is it because of mismanagement? Is it because of the decay in our society that today, some of the key critical institutions like the University of Nairobi, Moi University and Egerton University are almost struggling? If you go to Moi University, it has some of the best educational infrastructure an institution is supposed to have. I am told that during our days in the late 80s and early 90s, some of the facilities, like the Margaret Thatcher Library, were the epicentre of the best ICT facilities, not only in Africa, but in the entire world. Today, I am told, we used to have some of the best student facilities—even the administration. I am told the whole infrastructure is dilapidated. Students are running away. We can only blame ourselves. That road needs to be cleared. The University of Nairobi is in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). I am sure many colleagues here have gone to the University of Nairobi simply because of the tussle and the power struggle between the management and the council. Can that not be cured? Egerton University is going through the same. As much as we invest in Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), we must also protect those critical institutions that are supposed to take over. Look at the stages in our education system. You have gone through CBC. Ultimately, you want to go to a university. That university is being destroyed. I urge colleagues - and I know our able Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Education and Research is here - please do not fear. We need to support our institutions. I know you have done something about Moi University after eight years because of that rogue Vice-Chancellor. I am sorry to say this. But equally, look at the University of Nairobi. The other bit is the issue of pending bills from both the national and county governments. Somebody has rightly put it here. Unless we have a thriving business environment for entrepreneurs because business with the state is supposed to be the most lucrative business for any will-be businessperson. There is comfort, predictability and certainty when you trade with governments. That is all over the world. But here in our Kenyan system, you do business with the national Government and are not paid. You have a loan and other The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

commitments, so we are destroying the sector. The same thing applies to the county governments. I urge the leadership to put a programme together to sort out the pending bills once and for all if we truly desire meaningful economic growth and expansion of our capital base. Doing business right now is becoming a very risky venture. As we go through this, priorities should be given to the business community in the next supplementary Budget or the next Budget. Once we have a thriving business community, I can assure you that you will have thriving economic growth. This country, on the face of it, we are supposed to be the epicentre of commerce and civilisation in the East, South and Central Africa. If we compare ourselves right now with the neighbouring countries - Tanzania, Uganda and Ethiopia - and look at their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, why are we stagnant, and why are they growing yet we are in the same environment? It is simply because of our management style. If you open the first page of all the leading newspapers every day, it contains negative news. It is as if Kenya is coming to an end, or everyone wants to run away from it. This country is about us, and we are the leaders. I urge the owners and media practitioners to be fair to the country. We do not have a second country. This is the only country we have. Kenyans are lucky since we have never gone through military rule or civil war. We need to find out from those who have gone through such a thing. Some of us have relatives in Ethiopia and Somalia, and we have gone through hell. Can we be responsible in what we do? Even as we criticise the Government and ourselves, let us be objective. That will not destroy anybody. Under the leadership of Hon. Mbadi, this particular Department is properly managed, but there are realities. During vetting, he talked about the use or misuse of Article 223 of the Constitution. This is like when you want to marry and promise all the sweet things you know. Once you affirm that commitment, certain things change in your modus operandi . Article 223 of the Constitution will forever be there for any Government, even though under different names. That is why it is a reality right now. We know some regions have been left behind. Equalisation is a critical component under the current Constitution. The sunset period is coming, yet the benefits are almost zero. The original intention was to have the regions that were neglected over the years… Actually, we crafted it along the lines of the Marshall Plan at the end of World War II. But today, there is nothing that I can comfortably say is a product of equalisation. First, because of the many cases Governors staged, and second, because of the bureaucratic nature of our system. I urge the leadership to prioritise this, address all the lacuna s, and ensure equalisation benefits as intended. Hon. Temporary Speaker, I heard you comment that this county is about us. I come from Northern Kenya. I did not choose to be born there. If we remove northern Kenya from the map of the Republic of Kenya, we will not have a country. That map of Kenya will be very ugly. The people I represent are entitled to the same developmental needs as somebody from the Mountain. We do not have first-class or second-class citizens; we have Kenyan citizens. That means, therefore, that there must be equity and fairness in the distribution of the national resources. That is the only way we can collectively pride ourselves and say we are citizens of the Republic of Kenya, equal before God, and equal before the law so that we can all submit to the will of God and the will of the people through this Constitution because it is God that ordains everything. The framers of the current Constitution were not foolish when, in the opening Chapter, they equated representation to our sovereignty. This must also be reflected in the budget- making process. In the past, the budget-making process was a preserve of the Executive. Luckily, this morning, we passed the Budget Policy Statement, which is a precursor to the budget-making process. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

Today, we are doing Supplementary Estimates II. Let us look at this holistically so that when my disadvantaged region gets a small benefit, it should be a source of pride for every Kenyan citizen. When the people of the Lake who have been neglected over the years get certain benefits out of the broad-based arrangement, that should attract celebration and not condemnation. This is what will give us a country. In conclusion, this is good, and it is an eye-opener. I urge the leadership to be fair in distributing our national cake. I support this, Hon. Temporary Speaker. Thank you.

Hon. Gabriel Tongoyo.

Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me an opportunity to add my voice to this very important matter on the Consideration of the Supplementary Estimates II for the Financial Year 2024/25. At the outset, I most sincerely appreciate the Liaison Committee under the leadership of our very able Hon. Deputy Speaker, who midwifed the entire process up to this stage. They have done it very well even though they got themselves in that particular position occasioned by the dissolution of the Budget and Appropriations Committee. They put in their time and commitment, which is why we are here. Again, I will not forget the Departmental Committees who put a lot of effort into this work. The Supplementary Estimates II comes after the suspension of the Finance Bill 2024, which occasioned the revision of the previous year's Estimates. The suspension of the Finance Bill occasioned extreme cuts and reductions across all government sectors. So, this Supplementary Estimates II comes in handy to help Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and Semi-autonomous Government Agencies (SAGAs) run their departments smoothly, awaiting the Estimates ahead of us. I also take this opportunity to thank the National Treasury and the Kenya Kwanza Government, led by His Excellency the President, for putting in place very robust and progressive policies that have enabled the economic reconstruction of the country to have a positive trajectory. That is why we are on a sound financial footing to enable this Supplementary Budget have several additions to enable us address the very critical sectors in this country. I would like to highlight a little bit on the Supplementary Estimates II before this House for consideration. I have just mentioned that several key government sectors, especially the road sector, have had positive additions. In Supplementary Estimates II before consideration in this House, the road sector has had an addition of Ksh7 billion. Most of it has been securitised through the Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF), which will go a long way in enabling the majority of this country, which has not been getting equitable distribution of road resources, to get a majority of their stalled projects addressed. In fact, when we were going through these documents and reviewing the figures, we were very impressed. It is good to note and be on record that looking at the approximately Ksh6 billion already utilised under Article 223 of the Constitution, we appreciate the principle of equity and fairness because this Fund has been fairly distributed across the country. There is no question that the opening up of roads that are fairly distributed in the country will enable the agricultural sector to grow and address the difficulties farmers across the country face in accessing markets for their produce. The security sector also has a big increase, and I support. Regarding the issues related to agriculture, there is an additional Ksh7 billion to address fertiliser subsidies. It is good to note that when the Kenya Kwanza Government came to power, this country was really struggling with food insecurity. I remember some people demonstrated all over the place, putting the sufurias on their heads, because the cost ....

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That is true. I see Dr. Nyikal laughing. This was due to the high cost of food, edible oil, maise flour, and many other commodities, which were beyond the reach of the majority of poor Kenyans. Through the intervention of the Kenya Kwanza Government, largely through the fertiliser subsidy, we managed to produce food in plenty as a country, thereby leading to a reduction in food prices. This translated to a reduction in inflation. There is also an additional Ksh7 billion, which goes to the sugar sector. We know the President has been categorical and determined to address the big problem of sugar in this country, which has been there for quite too long. Our colleagues here in the House who come from the sugarcane growing belt are actually, in celebration mood because the sugar sector is flourishing. I support this. There is no doubt it is going to enable this very crucial sector to continue growing. More importantly, there is an additional Ksh2 billion in the milk sector. We have Members from pastoral communities here. The additional Ksh2 billion will enable farmers and communities to buy milk coolers, which His Excellency, the President, promised. I appreciate that. This has come when the cost of milk per litre is Ksh50. This development will spur growth and help a great deal. I also want to mention the critical sector of security. In the Second Supplementary Budget before us, it is good to appreciate that there is Ksh2.5 billion for police modernisation. Hon. Temporary Speaker, because we sit on the same Committee, you remember that the Kenya Kwanza-One Government embarked on the modernisation of our security sector, mostly the National Police Service and security organs. In the first Financial Year, there was Ksh6.5 billion and an additional Ksh2.5 billion. This will contribute to reduction of insecurity and cattle rustling in majority of the troubled counties like the North Rift at the Kerio Valley. When His Excellency the President gave the State of the Nation Address, he noted that there had been a reduction of insecurity in those regions by 70 per cent. That is commendable. To a large extent, this could be attributed to the modernisation of our National Police Service, which maintains peace in those regions. So, the continued addition of resources for the modernisation programme is much welcome. There is no doubt that it is going to help our police officers, make sure that this country is safe, and enable them to carry on with their duties with ease. In the same sector, it is good to appreciate that there is a Ksh5 billion for insurance of our police officers that will add to the already existing Ksh3 billion. But again, it is good to note that, still, there would be a deficit of about Ksh6 billion. This is much welcome. We know the important roles our security officers play and the dangers and vulnerabilities they face. So, insurance is extremely critical for them. This is very encouraging. We also note that in the same Second Supplementary Estimates, about Ksh500 million in the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in the form of Appropriations-in-Aid (A-I- A) from the office of Certificate of Good Conduct. I want to tell Kenyans that this is a critical consideration. We all know that when Kenyans apply for this very important document, they have to wait a little bit longer because, at times, we go manual; at other times, the certificate expires. So, enabling the DCI to have an A-I-A will enable them to produce the certificate of good conduct in real-time. Actually, they told the Committee when they appeared before it that they could do it in less than four days. So, this is very much appreciated and supported. In the same sector, there is Ksh5 billion that goes to e-Citizen and Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).

On a point of order, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

What is out of order, Hon. Ali Wario.

It is very unfair when Chairpersons of Committees who sit in the Liaison Committee and have already discussed the Second Supplementary The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

Budget take a lot of time on the same. It is very fair to give a chance to other Members to discuss it. It is very unfair. They are wasting time.

They have done what they have. Yes, it is their baby.

Order, Hon. Ali Wario. Take your seat. The Hon. Chairpersons…

Hon. Wamboka.

Order. Proceed, Hon. Tongoyo. Let us not raise points of order when it is not necessary. All members have an equal right to speak. I am giving Members of Parliament the opportunity to speak as Members and not as Chairpersons of Committees.

Protect me, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Let me caution, Hon. Wamboka, that the Standing Orders also speak to disorderly conduct when you unnecessarily raise points of order. I want this debate to proceed. Proceed, Hon. Tongoyo.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I am almost winding up. Thank you for protecting me. There is also Ksh6 billion for equalisation in the same Second Supplementary Estimates. I know this is a very deserving sector. It goes a long way to help us. As I conclude, Hon. Temporary Speaker, you remember that in the Afternoon Sitting, there were many questions about the operationalisation of several gazetted units all over this country. Members from both divides were really on my neck on why the Ministry is not operationalising these units. It is good to appreciate that there is an allocation of about Ksh280 million, which will enable us to operationalise a few units. However, the sector still needs a lot of resources to have all our gazetted units operationalised. Hon. Temporary Speaker, with those remarks, I support the Motion. It has come at the right time. Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Hon. Ali Wario Guyo.

Asante sana, Mhe. Spika wa Muda. Leo ninafurahi kuongea hapa. Niko tayari nisiende kufuturu mpaka niongee. Na kwa sababu leo ni siku ya kuongea Kiswahili, ningependa kuongelea dhuluma ambayo imefanyika kwa hii Second